Electric terminal



Feb. 16, 1932. 'r. J. SCOFIELD ELECTRIC TERMINAL Filed May 1, 1929 IN'VE NTOR.

ATTORNEYS. v

Patented Feb. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THEODORE J. SCOFIELD, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORTO THE SPARKS-WITHING- TON COMPANY, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF OHIO -ELECTRIC TERMINAL Application filed ma '1, 1929. Serial No. 359,619.

This invention relates to a new and im proved electric terminal.

1n the construction of electric appliances such as radio sending and receiving instrutherebetween, it is desirable that such conneotions be made as easily and quicklyas possibleand it is also necessary that there be a positive and permanent electrical contact between said means for conducting electricity.

The main object of this invention, therefore,-is to construct an electrical terminal which is simply and easily operated and at the same time will obtain a secure grip upon the electricity conducting agencies and insure a positive electrical connection therebetween.

Another object is to provide an electrical terminal which maybe constructed at a very low cost and be easily and readily assembled. A still furtherobject of thisin'vention is to produce a terminal which will be easily and readily adapted to be mounted upon or in connection with various objects when desired to copperate with said objects .or supports to form a positive electrical connection.

Other objects and advantages relate to the details of construction and relation of parts thereof which will more fullv appear from the following description taken in connec-- tion with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a top plan of a pair of my devices mounted in a common support with one shown in electrical connection with a fixed condenser, while the other one isshownin electrical contact with a suitable ground such as the.

metal frame of an electrical device. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken in the plan of line 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig.

- 1, showing the terminal supporting plate and trating the manner in which they are assembled.

Fig. 5 is a positive viewof the terminal clip. In Fig. 1 of the drawings, I have illus trated a possible manner or method of assembling the electric terminals and it consists of a supporting base plate 1 which is, in this instance, composed of insulating material andmay be provided with one or more elongated slots 2, adapted to receive a terminal clip member 3. The terminal clip comparatively thin metal and consists of a substantially fiat rectangular shaped body portion 1, having the ends thereof enlargedto member 3, in this instance, is constructed from form laterally extending lugs 5 and 6, projecting outwardly from either side of the' body portion l to form shoulders 7 and 8 respectively on the inner face of the lugs.v

An aperture.9, adapted to receive one or more electricity conducting elements such as a wire or cable as A, Figs. 1 and 2, is provided in the body portion 4 of the clip 3 near one end thereof, while one of the sides of said body portion is cut awaynear the opposite end thereof to form a V shaped opening or notch 10 for the purpose of facilitating the assembling of the clip with the supporting member coacting therewith- If the supporting base 1 is comparatively thick in cross section as illustrated in the drawings, as is apt to be the case if it is composed of some insulating material the lower portion of the end walls of the slot 2 may becut away to elongate the slot at the under side of the supporting base 1 as illustrated at 11.to permit the clip 3 to be readily assembled without it being necessary to make the notch 10 of such a size as to weaken the structure of the clip, although this structure may not be necessary when the supporting base 1 is of a relatively thin material in cross section. In assembling the clip 3 and the supporting base 1, it is only necessary to insert the'corner of the end of the clip nearest the notch 10 into the slot 2 with theside containing the notch 10 facing downwardly, then move the clip laterallyuntil the end of the slot 2 registers in the notch 10 as illustrated by dotted lines on Fig. 4. It is nowonly necessary to rock the clip forward to the vertical position shown in full lines, whereupon the clip may be lowered until the shoulder 7 rests upon the upper face of the base 1.

The clip may be yieldingly held in its normal position in the base 1, by a helical spring positioned between the under-side of the support 1 and the lug 6 with the outer end of the spring raising upon the shoulders 8. The spring is assembled in position on the clip by first hocking one end of the spring over the notched end of the clip and then rotate the spring in the direction of the spiral until it moves into position between the lug 6 and the base 1 with the outer end of the spring resting upon the shoulders 8.

In the Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, I have illustrated two possible ways of adapting the clip as an electrical terminal. In one of the positions I have illustrated the terminal clip 3 in permanent electrical contact with a fixed condenser 17, while the other position illustrates the terminal clip in permanent electrical contact with a ground such as aportion of supporting frame 18. In the first named position the clip 3 passes through an elongated slot 15 provided in a metal strip 16 and in registration with the slot 2 in the base.

1. The metal strip 16 is connected to or integral with one of the plates of the condenser 17 so that by moving the clip forward against the action of the spring 12 until the aperture 9 is positioned above the strip 16, and then inserting 'a convenient electrical conductor such as a wire or cable A into the aperture 9 and then by releasing the clip 3 the wire will be clasped securely between the clip and strip 16 by the action of the spring12 as illustrated in Fig. 2.

In the other position the electrical connection may be made by the terminal clip between a source of electrical energy and the supporting frame 18, by first inserting a suitable electrical condu'ctor such as acopper wire, into the aperture 9 in the manner as escribed for the first position, and with the base support 1 supported by the frame 19 as by an angular metalic bracket 19 whichhas one leg thereof connected to the base 1 and the other leg secured to the frame 18, whereupon the electrical path will be through the clip 3 and spring 12 to the metalic bracket 19, thence to the base supporting frame 18.

AlthoughI have shown and. particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention,-"I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown, as various changes may readily be made both in the construction and adaptability thereof, without departing from the spirit of this invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1'. In an electric terminal, a supporting base provided with a slot, a clip having a body portion adapted to be slidably mounted in 'in said slot, end portions of greater width than the slot, an aperture near one end for receiving an electrical conductor and a notch in one side thereof whereby said clip may be inserted in said slot, and resilient means between said base and the other end of said clip for maintaining said conductor in contact with said base.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of April, 1929.

' THEODORE J. SCOFIELD. 

